Laura M Collits1

F, #7719, b. 19 April 1906, d. 25 August 1915
FatherJames Pierce Collits1 b. 25 Feb 1871, d. 3 Nov 1928
MotherMargaret E Debnam1 d. 23 Sep 1910
Relationship3rd cousin 2 times removed of Keith Graham Bassett
Last Edited28 Dec 2018
Birth*19 April 1906 Cargo, NSW, Australia1 
Death*25 August 1915 Eugowra, NSW, Australia2,3 
News-Arct*27 August 1915 "The Forbes Advocate", Forbes, NSW, Australia;
EUGOWRA FATALITY.
LITTLE GIRL DROWNED
A sensation was caused at Eugowra on Wednesday by the news of the drowning of a little girl named Mary Collits, aged 9 years, the daughter and youngest child of Mr Pierce Collits.
It appears that at about 11 a.m. on the day mentioned, the child, who had been into the township, was returning home, and attempted to cross the Mandagery Creek, at a crossing about half a mile upstream. Her sister, Nora, saw the little one on the other bank, and warned her of the danger of the undertaking, but she answered that she could get across, and essayed to do so. The crossing is by means of a log, and the child had not proceeded far, when she slipped and fell into the water. For the past few months, the Mandagery has been a flowing stream of some volume and force, and where the fatality occurred the depth is several feet. The little victim rose to the surface once, but. that as the last seen of her, and her body was whirled away in the rush of water.
The alarm brought many people to the spot. Amongst the first was Mr Os. Morton, who plunged into the creek in the hope of effecting a recovery, but his efforts were resultless, and the strength of the current made it no easy task for him to regain the banks. A boat was procured from Mr T. Bray, "Vychan," and all day the search was diligently continued but it was not until 2.30 yesterday afternoon that it was successful. The discovery was made by Mr Jack Greenhalgh, who was walking along the bank, and noticing something in the water, waded in and recovered the body.
Very great sympathy is felt for Mr Collits, who has been a widower for some years, and has now lost one of the half dozen children he has brought up. Mr Collits started off for Condobolin droving a mob of sheep on Wednesday afternoon, but was brought back by the sad news of the fatality when he had got about six miles on his way.
An inquest will be held to-day, when the little victim's remains will also be interred.3 

Citations

  1. [S1472] NSW Birth Indexes, 12213/1906 Laura M Collits.
  2. [S1473] NSW Death Indexes, 13809/1915 Laura M Collits.
  3. [S1565] Trove digitised newspapers, online http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/, The Forbes Advocate, Friday, August 27, 1915.